Utility shelf for filing cabinets



April 1, 1950 I w. c. MITQHELL.

UTILITY SHELF FOR FILING (CABINETS Filed Nov. 12. 1947 I INVENTOR.

M44; 75/? C M/ro/zzz Patented Apr. 18, 1950 NITED STATES ATENT QFICE I This invention relates to folding shelf members which may be associated with a portion of a filing cabinet structure to serve as a supporting surface for papers or the like temporarily removed from or awaiting insertion into the fi1- ing cabinet.

An object of the invention is to provide a shelf member of the character described arranged for association with the filing cabinet structure in such a way that, when the cabinet is closed, the shelf will pass into and be completely concealed within the cabinet.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in connection with a filing cabinet drawer, a utility shelf associated therewith which, when raised to usable position will be substantially flush with the top of the drawer which is the most desirable location for such a shelf.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shelf of the nature referred to designed to be associated with the side of a filing cabinet drawer and arranged, when in folded position to pass easily into the space between the drawer side and the adjacent inner side of the cabinet when the drawer is moved to closed position within the cabinet.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claim.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a filing cabinet showing the utility shelf of my invention associated with the extended drawers thereof and illustrating the shelf, in respective drawers, in open and closed positions.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation-a1 view of a portion of one of the drawers showing the utility shelf in closed position.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a drawer showing a modified form of shelf structure and showing the latter in open position.

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 3 showing 1 Claim. (Cl. 311.-17)

cabinet I, with an opening 8, as shown in Figure 4, or with an outwardly-opening recess 9 as shown in Figure 3 which forms the equivalent of the opening-8. The opening or recess is made as large as the physical dimensions of the drawer side will permit without structurally weakening the latter and it is preferable to provide around the opening or recess a marginal frame comprising vertical portions l l and horizontal portions [2 of the drawer side. Extending across the recess or opening adjacent the upper side thereof and connected at its opposite ends to the vertical portions H, I provide an axle E3 on which is journaied the upper looped edge portion M of the shelf member I6 which is thus pivotally mounted on the drawer side and is of such a size as to pass into and out of the opening or recess and to occupy as great an area of the latter as possible in order to afford a shelf of maximum size. As shown in Figure 3, the shelf member may be moved from an extended position projecting at right angles to the drawer side, to a closed position in which it parallels or lies coplanar with the drawer side so as to reduce to a minimum the lateral thickness of the combined shelf and drawer side. Thus the folded shelf may readily pass into the cabinet with the drawer as the latter is closed since the usual space provided for the drawer slides between the sides of the drawer and cabinet will permit this.

Suitable means may be provided for bracing the shelf when in extended and usable position but I prefer to employ mechanism which will automatically move to operative position when the shelf is lifted to its usable position. As here shown I provide a bracket plate I! which is pivotally mounted by a hinge I8 or the like, on the lower surface of the shelf l6, extending rectangul-arly with relation to the hinge iii-i4 and disposed substantially medially of the shelf in relation to the front and rear edges thereof. Normally, when the shelf is in its closed position, the bracket plate I! is folded to lie flatly against the underside of the shelf as shown in Figure 4. However, when the shelf is lifted to its extended position, shown in Figure 3, gravity will urge the bracket plate to swing downwardly as the shelf is raised to thereafter assume an edgewise vertical position below the shelf with its vertical edge resting against the drawer side wall within the recess 9 thus providing a sturdy brace for the shelf. In the structure of Figure 1, a modified form of brace structure is employed. As here shown, I provide a bracket plate l9 similar to the plate I! but provided along its vertical edge with hinge elements 2| pivotally engaged with corresponding hinge elements 22 formed in the drawer side along a vertical side of the opening 8. This mounts the bracket plate I9 to be swung from a folded position within the opening and lying parallel with the retracted shelf, as shown in Figure 4, to a position exteriorly of the opening wherein the upper edge of the bracket plate underlies and engages the underside of the extended shelf as shown in Figure 1. In either instance the shelf braces may be very quickly brought to positions of use or moved to inactive positions to permit retractive folding of the shelf members.

I claim:

In a filing cabinet having a drawer receptacle and a drawer provided with a recess in a side member thereof and slidable into and out of said receptacle, a utility shelf member pivoted to said drawer side member and movable between a position of non-use within said recess and lying substantially coplanar with said drawer side member, to a position of use extending substan- 4 tially rectangularly from the drawer side member, and means comprising a bracket plate hingedly secured to said shelf member and movable to overlie a surface of said drawer side member for supporting the shelf member in said position of use thereof.

WALTER C. MITCHELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

